Wow. This may spark another subject but in today's gospel music, is there anything timeless? BBD has made an excellent point. Outside of what the Hawkins and the Winans did, I don't think a timeless gospel recording has been made in the last 15 to 20 years. Lately they've all been fast food recordings. Its not surprising though. Gospel has way too much R&B influence which will naturally result in a "flavor of the day" style of music, which in return births "flavor of the day" musicians. Indeed, they will eventually play themselves out. You will grow tired of hearing certain drummers...some of us are already tired of hearing certain drummers.
Yes, you got it!!!! And that's what Im saying!!!! When I was typing my last post I was thinking of the Hawkins and the Winans , Andrae Crouch, Aretha Franklin's recording. It would have been more appropriate to group Bill Maxwell, Dana Davis, Joel Smith in with the drummers on timeless recordings, Calvin' nah! D.O.D's right! Gospel music right now is full of "flavor of the day" musicians and styles. Trust me! It was nice when I could go pick up a gospel tape/cd and be blown away by some drummer whom I had never heard of playing drums his own way and doing his own licks.. Now everything is the same people, same sound, everyone trying to sound the same, everyone trying to be Calvin Rodgers...Calvin's good but he's not so good that there are no others who can do what he's doing and put a different spin or bring a different flavor to the table. (Calvin's only an example Im using, he is a cat to look up to and has my full respect!)
Gospel music has become nothing but a money making business and that's it!!! No one wants to take a chance on new musicians and even they discriminate on artists now too! I say that because there was a time more local Church Choirs would put out recordings & if it was good enough labels would pick them up and give them distribution deals, you really don't see that anymore. I learned more from listening to the local everyday Church Choir drummers then I did from listening to Dave Weckl. Gospel music is not fun anymore, the brotherhood between gospel drummers has really broken down over the years!
There was a time that no matter where you were from as long as you were a true Gospel Drummer we were brothers and you were coming to my house if you were in my city. And if I had gear I wasn't using and you needed it it was yours, if I could not make a gig Id give it to you. Now its all about what I can get, can I get all the gigs, I want to be a super star, give me, give me, give me! That's why there's really no more timeless recordings anymore, the heart and the soul has left the music!!! When last could you really feel the soul of an artist come out in a recording!!?? Go back and dig out your parents old gospel and soul records from the MID 70's and you will feel what I mean.
Come on! Even most of the instruments in our music is fake!!!! Im a producer and Ive been guilty of exactly what Im talking about!! We need to find our heart and soul again, that's the only time we will start making music that can grab our souls and pull it out of our bodies!!! Music that you feel in your soul and consumes your body all day long!